WarmNoodles writes: Gone missing on February 16, 2009 Bob Norton and his wife Neiba were serving as medical aviation missionaries in the jungles of Venezuela. On this particular morning Bob and Neiba had a full plane load. A school teacher, Gladys, along with four Indigenous Indians and full tanks of gas. To say that he was loaded heavy would be correct. Over capacity on people in a four seat Cessna 182? Yes. Over capacity on weight? Possibly. Typical flight for a jungle pilot? Absolutely!

Flash forward to today;Gary Lewis who flies for AMA — Guayana (and a very good friend of Bob Norton) has just purchased a new plane to use for his missionary medical aviation work there in Guayana. Let's put our heads together and give him our best advice on equipment to make this plane as safe as possible (i.e. 406 ELT w/GPS, PLB, emergency equipment, tools to carry, survival gear, etc.). We would also like to begin putting together a aviation safety plan with guidelines, procedures and policies intended to keep him safe as a bush pilot (i.e. acceptable flight conditions, flight limitations, emergency procedures, flight plan recommendations, documentation, communications recording, etc). This may take some time, but if we can get the ideas flowing in, we can compile and begin sending him drafts of the plan for his input and responses. We would like for him to be set up as an example to the other AMA sites (Bolivia, Philippines, South Africa) so that perhaps the entire organization can become a safer operation. Please post you thoughts and suggestions.